Maj. Melron Kelly chosen to fill role until city chooses permanent department head
Interim Police Chief Ruben Santiago has resigned from the Columbia Police Department, City Manager Theresa Wilson announced in a statement Thursday evening. Santiago had been serving as interim chief for nearly a year, after then-chief Randy Scott resigned in April 2013.
Maj. Melron Kelly has been chosen to serve as acting police chief until the city chooses a permanent replacement. Kelly has been with the police department since 1999 and has worked in drug and gang units.
Santiago’s resignation comes after a tumultuous tenure, during which he was accused of concocting a plot to plant drugs and an illegal gun on a city official by a former Columbia police officer. The allegations were investigated by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which found insufficient evidence to charge Santiago.
The city is in the process of selecting a new police chief. Santiago applied for the job, but was not among the five finalists. That list has been whittled down to two after two candidates withdrew. The two finalists have not been announced out of the three still in pursuit of the job